The Supreme Court is sending a death-row case back to the lower courts to determine if the inmate’s dementia, brought on by strokes he suffered while on death row, should prevent him from being executed. In the 5-3 ruling at the end of last month, the justices sided with Alabama prisoner Vernon Madison for now,…
An investigation into alleged serious sectarian activity in a Belfast hospital “harks back to the past” and “can’t be tolerated” a Fermanagh-based priest has said. This comes as a covert probe into sectarianism instigated by NHS bosses relating to events in Belfast City Hospital has come to light. It was launched after allegations of harassment…
The Notebook Fr Conor McDonough March 8 is International Women’s Day, a day set aside for celebrating the achievements of women and campaigning in favour of equality. Recent years have focussed on celebrating pioneering women scientists and encouraging girls to choose STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) at school and university. Even…
Jews and Christians should join forces for peace, Pope says The fruitful friendship and dialogue between Jews and Christians must go beyond the world of experts and academia, Pope Francis said. “It would be wonderful, for example, if in the same city rabbis and parish priests could work, together with their respective communities, in service to those in need and by promoting paths of…
Dear Editor, Now that she has broken through the political ‘glass ceiling’ and commands publicity opportunities for her activities distributed from powerful media outlets such as the Fine Gael Press Office, I appeal to Minister Josepha Madigan to use her influence – particularly with the Taoiseach and her Government colleagues – to embrace and champion…
Raphoe’s Bishop Alan McGuckian has expressed sorrow on behalf of the diocese for the abuse of children by the late Eugene Greene. The onetime priest of the diocese, whose death in Cork last November was announced yesterday, pleaded guilty in 1999 to 40 counts of sexual assaults of children between 1965 and 1982. Sentenced to…
Violent attacks including public lynchings against Christians in India are reportedly becoming increasingly common, with international NGOs and the country’s Catholic bishops raising their voices in protest against mob violence. “The common man of the country is feeling insecurity in his own country due to the increasing cases of mob lynching,” Archbishop Leo Cornelio of…
David Agren Bishops from Texas and Mexico called for solidarity with migrants as a Catholic response to the national emergency declared at the U.S.-Mexico border. They also questioned if the emergency — declared by U.S. President Donald Trump to free up funds for building a border wall — was as urgent as attending to…
An Australian court has found Cardinal George Pell guilty on five charges related to the sexual abuse of two 13-year-old boys; sentencing is expected in early March, but the cardinal’s lawyer already has announced plans to appeal the conviction. The jury’s verdict that Cardinal Pell, shortly after being named archbishop of Melbourne in 1996, sexually…
Junno Arocho Esteves If they are truly serious about fighting clerical sex abuse, bishops must join forces with journalists and not view them as enemies plotting against the Catholic Church, Mexican journalist Valentina Alazraki said. Ms Alazraki, who has covered the Vatican for over four decades, told bishops at the Vatican summit on abuse that journalists…